If you’re suffering from a personal injury due to the negligence of another individual, it’s time to consider hiring a personal injury lawyer. Looking for a lawyer can feel overwhelming with so many choices. You want to ensure that you choose an excellent personal injury lawyer to represent you.
Even if your injury seems superficial, it can result in thousands of dollars in medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, property damage, or various other issues resulting from your accident. This guide will tell you how to choose a personal injury lawyer that is right for you to ensure your rights are protected and help improve the overall probability of you winning your claim and gaining compensation.
Tips for Choosing the Best Personal Injury Lawyer
Before choosing a personal injury lawyer to represent you, it is crucial to consider the qualities you want in a personal injury lawyer. You want to ensure that your lawyer is trustworthy, knowledgeable, successful, and has the experience and individual injury cases. Selecting the right personal injury lawyer can make the difference between winning and losing your case.
Tip #1. Get Referrals From Friends and Family
You probably know someone who hired a personal injury lawyer before, whether for medical malpractice, a car accident, birth injury, or workplace injury. Ask people that you trust who they would recommend as a personal injury lawyer. Inquire about their personal experience, including whether they felt heard, whether their legal needs were met, whether their case proceeded to trial, their outcome, and their overall experience.
Tip #2. Create a List of Important Criteria
It’s an excellent idea for you to consider the criteria that are most important to you when choosing a personal injury lawyer. One of the most critical aspects will include finding a lawyer with ample experience working with victims with a type of injury you sustained.
Here are some criteria to consider when hiring a personal injury lawyer.
- The lawyer has experience dealing with cases similar to your type of injury, whether a car accident, medical malpractice, workplace injury, nursing home neglect, wrongful death, or a different kind of personal injury.
- The lawyer’s track record, credentials, and success record
- The lawyer’s law firms experience and access to resources
- How the lawyer handles case fees, and that they are reasonable and fair, and within your budget
- Reviews of past client experiences and reputation
- The lawyer must have courtroom experience should your case go to trial
- The law firms availability to take your case
- Compassion and integrity
You also want to ensure that you match personality-wise and are comfortable speaking with your lawyer. For example, if you speak Spanish or Portuguese, find a bilingual personal injury lawyer to make communication easier.
Tip #3. Research “Personal Injury Lawyers Near Me” Online
Another method for finding a lawyer is to search online. For example, you can search for “personal injury lawyer near me.” You can also include your regions, such as Philadelphia, PA, or whatever other area you live in, to help narrow your search results.
You can also read online reviews and check online reading sites that will help provide an idea of the reputation and skill of a prospective lawyer. Finally, check the lawyer’s social media sites to see how they interact with clients and search for negative or positive reviews. It may be a red flag if they don’t have a presence online or a website.
Tip #4. Check the Lawyer’s Track Record and Credentials
Lawyers must meet specific requirements that vary by state and jurisdiction for licensing, registrations, and certifications. Personal injury lawyers should meet the following criteria depending on where they practice law:
- Completing and passing the Law School Admissions Test before entering law school
- Attending and graduating from an American Bar Association credentialed law school
- Passing the State Bar Exam
- Staying up-to-date on present legal developments that impact the area of their law practice
- Maintaining legal education, which is usually every 1 to 3 years in most states
- A “Board-Certified Personal Injury Lawyer” indicates that your lawyer has extensive experience and has passed the state bar exam.
Tip #5. Create a List of Possible Personal Injury Lawyers and Meet With Them
Once you’ve completed your research and found several possible lawyers, create a list and select between three and five to set up consultations. While it can feel time-consuming, it is worth the extra effort to ensure you choose the best personal injury lawyer.
Meeting with the lawyers individually will help you understand their communication styles and personality and determine if they would be an excellent fit for your case. Before hiring a personal injury lawyer, knowing if you can have a good working relationship with the lawyer who will represent you is vital.
When you plan your meeting, ensure that you write down your list of questions to address all of your concerns during your consultation. You should also discuss your claim at length to understand their methods and experiences better.
Finally, please know that the lawyer may need to review some of your documentation to determine whether they can take on your case and provide excellent legal representation.
Tip #6. Choose a Personal Injury Lawyer with Strong Communication Skills
Consider that you and your lawyer will frequently be communicating. Therefore, choosing a lawyer with solid communication skills is essential. They need to keep you updated, negotiate with insurance companies, and connect with a jury and judge, so you want someone with good people skills.
Strong listening skills are as crucial as solid speaking skills. When your lawyer has good listening skills, it helps them better analyze your case and respond to debates or conflicts.
Tip #7. Choosing the Best Personal Injury Lawyer for You
Once you’ve consulted the personal injury lawyers on your list, it’s time to select the lawyer that best suits you and your claim.
Remember to consider all the criteria that are important to you as well as your instincts, when choosing your lawyer, as it can significantly impact the outcome of your case. An excellent personal injury lawyer will make you feel heard and address all angles of your claim to help strengthen your case and give you the best opportunity to win and receive fair compensation.
Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer with Experience, Compassion, and Integrity. Hire Zajac & Padilla
At Zajac & Padilla LLC., we specialize in litigating complex cases with dedication and integrity. Our lawyers are licensed in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Florida. Our practice areas include Medical Malpractice, Birth and Brain Injury, Nursing Home Neglect, Workplace Injury, and more.
As Personal Injury Lawyers, we are here to serve and protect our clients. Spanish and Portuguese-speaking lawyers are available for those needing personal injury legal representation.
Our law firm believes everyone deserves the best legal representation. Contact our team today for a consultation.
3 comments
Thank you for pointing out that you should make sure to check their credentials. My sister is thinking about hiring a lawyer to help after she was hit by a car while riding to work on her bike. I’ll be sure to share this with her and help her come up with a short list to talk to.
Thanks for mentioning that you need to consider how often you and your lawyer will communicate. I’d like to hire a personal injury lawyer for my mother since she had a fall on public property. I’d like to hire a lawyer who specializes in working with elders.
Thanks for the tip about choosing a personal injury lawyer who frequently communicates with you. Im in the process of trying to build a case for my car accident. I have lots of medical bills piling up, and it’d be nice to work with a lawyer to make it happen.